


Kitty

by My_Trex_has_fleas



Series: Land and Sea [28]
Category: Poldark - All Media Types, Return to Treasure Island (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-23 12:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4877470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The title kind of says is it all :D</p><p>This is a fill for the Numbers prompt No. 23 Cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kitty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CalamityKitten (KirstRavensoul)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirstRavensoul/gifts), [Anathema_Cat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anathema_Cat/gifts).



Jim watched Ross as he cooked breakfast. French toast was now an established ritual for weekend mornings if Jim was off deployment, and Ross was an undisputed master of it. He waited, sipping his coffee and half reading his book as Ross dished it up and bought their plates over to the table.

‘So, I was thinking.’ Ross said as he sat down adjacent to Jim and shook an unfeasible amount of icing sugar over his breakfast. ‘Maybe we should get a pet.’ Jim looked up at him, surprise etched on his face.

‘Really?’ he said. ‘I thought you weren’t keen.’ 

‘I wasn’t.’ Ross said. ‘But it’s been kind of quiet with you gone. I guess I just want something here so I don’t feel like it’s just me.’ He shrugged. ‘If you don’t fancy it, we don’t have to.’ He kept his eyes resolutely on his plate as he said this and Jim, still a little asleep, missed the tiny hint of despondency. 

‘I just think that it’s maybe not such a good idea having an animal.’ he said, and Ross’ brows drew down even more. ‘I mean, realistically, we are hardly home. I’m on deployment eight months out of the year and you spend almost all day and often night at the range. The only thing we could get would be fish. Maybe we could get you some of those?’

‘Fish. Yeah, that would be fine.’ Ross said.

*********

Ross didn’t bring up the subject again and Jim felt awful, realising too late that he really should have been reading between the lines on this one. He hadn’t really thought about how much time Ross spent alone in the house until he came back from his deployment to Oman and felt the desperate strength in Ross’ hug when he stepped off the ship. He was lucky, this one had only been three months instead of the normal six. And it meant that he would, for the first time in their relationship, actually be home for Ross’ birthday. 

A cunning plan started to hatch in Jim’s mind.

It was a matter of research he discovered and Jim was a fucking expert when it came to research. So he went to town, and in his first week back found several excuses to disappear while Ross was at work. 

He had found a breeder within a twenty mile radius and this afternoon was their first meeting. Jim went armed with pictures of the cottage and a rather hefty deposit. He took the bike, deciding to enjoy the ride out. The woman he’d spoken to over the phone, whose name was Audrey, was located in Bridport. This meant an hour’s ride past some gorgeous scenery and Jim felt he was entitled to a little bit of fun in his quest for domestic bliss. 

The day was glorious, one of those sunny May days and Jim very much enjoyed the ride. He followed the directions and eventually pulled up outside a brick semi-detached house. He killed the engine, got off the bike and went to the front door. The person who answered when he knocked wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Audrey was a head taller than him and angular with platinum blond hair cut in a severe bob. It was quite fitting considering what he was here to look at. He greeted her and she ushered him inside. 

‘They’re through here.’ she said, leading him through a living room that looked like it had come out of an interior design magazine. They went into the kitchen and out a doorway at the back which led into a utility room. And there, in a large crate with a towel draped over the top, was the proud mother.

She looked up at Jim with eyes that seemed at first glance too large to be real. They were an astonishing topaz yellow, which contrasted beautifully with her pitch black coat. The distinctive curl made her look like a karakul lamb and she was purring loud enough to sound like a 40HP outboard engine. 

But it was the ears that he fell in love with, completely against his will he would hasten to add. Jim had always been a dog person, ever since he was little. But then, this wasn’t so much a cat as a tiny alien. He crouched down and reached in with one hand, scratching the ears that reminded him of radar dishes. The cat purred even louder and Jim was amazed at how soft her fur was. 

‘They are very affectionate.’ Audrey said. ‘They love cuddles and will happily sleep in the bed.’ She laughed. ‘In fact you may have trouble keeping them out.’ Jim thought of Ross alone in their bed when he was gone.

‘That’s not going to be a problem.’ he said. 

‘Excellent.’ Audrey said. ‘They’re over here.’ Jim got up and followed her to a child’s play pen that had been set up, the floor covered in plush blankets. He looked as six little faces turned towards him, ears up and yellow eyes bright.

‘They look like a bunch of little demons don’t they?’ Audrey cackled. 

‘They are pretty damn cute.’ Jim said. ‘I have to say I wasn’t expecting that.’ Audrey smiled at him and then reached down into the pen and scooped out the only black kitten in the litter, depositing him in Jim’s arms. Jim was amused to see the kitten could sit comfortably in one of his hands. The little male was even softer than his mother. He gentled the tiny ears and the kitten tried to bite at his fingers. Jim moved him, cradling him in one elbow. The kitten regarded him with big yellow eyes and a very serious expression, then curled up and started purring. Jim could feel the vibrations all the way up his arm. He rubbed one bat like ear between his fingers.

‘He’s really adorable.’ he said and Audrey nodded. 

‘And he seems to have taken to you.’ she said. ‘Why don’t you bring him through? We’ll have a cup of tea and you can ask me any questions you might have.’

They talked for two hours. Jim had made a rather exhaustive list of questions he wanted to ask and Audrey answered all of them. Satisfied, he handed over the deposit and made arrangements to pick up the kitten in two weeks.

**********

Ross was agitated. He had been secretly excited at the prospect of having Jim home for his birthday, and had grandiose plans of a lazy lie-in, mind blowing birthday sex and breakfast in bed if he could charm Jim into it. Then maybe a drive down to the beach, or lazing around on the sofa with Jim’s feet in his lap while he spent the day gaming. Then dinner and even more birthday sex. 

He had also secretly hoped for a present, although he was more than happy with the fact that he actually had his boyfriend home. And seeing as he was turning twenty-nine, he was hoping for something a little special to compensate for the fact that he only had one more year before he was officially middle-aged. Not that Jim thought that, in fact he constantly teased Ross about his sensitivity over being so close to his third decade. Ross was always at great pains to point out that Jim was six months younger and therefore didn’t have a leg to stand on in this particular argument.

So he’d been a little surprised by being taken out the night before to a really nice restaurant in Studland (okay it was a little more than nice, it was the Pig on the Beach which you needed a second mortgage for just to eat at), where he’d drunk way too much wine and ended up on the receiving end of very drunken sex on the kitchen floor when they got home, followed by even more drunken sex in bed much, much later.

That was all splendid, but it did mean that he was fast asleep when Jim had apparently snuck out of their bed at some ungodly hour and disappeared. He was also in possession of sore knees and vowed never again to indulge in doggy style on the flagstone floor. He could only sympathise with Jim who would have sore knees and hands into the bargain. It was yet another annoying reminder that he wasn’t as young as he used to be.

That was vexing in and of itself, but the missing boyfriend was a step too far. And when Ross called Jim’s mobile to find out where he was, he heard the familiar strains of the Game of Thrones theme under the bed on Jim’s side. Jim had set that as Ross’ ringtone after introducing him to the series and being completely surprised by Ross’ over the top reaction to it, not only binging on the remaining three seasons but also buying all the books from Amazon and reading them like a man possessed. That was when he started to worry. 

He went through the entire house, but there was no sign of Jim. Ross went outside and checked the garage, the wood store and the back garden. Nothing. A flutter of panic started in his stomach, but logic dictated that Jim wouldn’t have just up and left. Not on his birthday of all days.

Ross did the only sensible thing and rang Rose. He paced back and forth in the bedroom, waiting for her to pick up.

‘Happy birthday, duckie.’ she trilled as she answered the phone and Ross was not so ungraceful as to ignore her cheerful salutations.

‘Thank you Rose.’ he replied, trying hard not to sound as distressed as he was starting to feel. 

‘I’m surprised you’re awake actually.’ she said. ‘Jim told me not to phone until after eleven because he was letting you sleep in. Apparently you had quite a heavy night last night.’ She cackled and Ross instantly felt relief flooding through him.

‘You’ve spoken to him?’ he asked.

‘Of course, about an hour ago.’ Rose said. 'He was about to get back on his way back to you with your present.’

‘My present?’ Ross said stupidly. ‘What present?’

‘This one.’ Jim said behind him and Ross jumped in surprise.

‘Jesus fuck!’ he said. ‘Don’t fucking sneak up on me like that.’ Then he clocked the cardboard box in Jim’s hands with a neat series of holes punched in the lid. ‘What is that?’

‘Stop talking to my mother and I’ll show you.’ Jim said with a conspiratorial smile. 

‘Go.’ Rose said in Ross’ ear. ‘I’ll call you when you’ve recovered.’

‘Recovered from what?’ Ross asked but she’d already hung up. He lowered the phone and glared at Jim. ‘Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been worried sick.’

‘Surprise. Happy birthday, baby.’ Jim said and held out the box. ‘Don’t shake it.’ Ross took the box and moved to the bed. He sat down and placed the box on the bed next to him. He looked back up at Jim, who was watching him expectantly. Then he lifted the lid.

Huge yellow eyes looked up at him from a wizened black face. The ears looked like something out of a horror movie. It was the cutest fucking thing, bar the gorgeous blond in his eyeline, that Ross had ever seen.

‘Ross, meet Yoda.’ Jim said. ‘Yoda, meet Ross. He’s your new daddy.’

**********

Six weeks later and Jim was up early again. This time he showered and dressed with reluctance, knowing what the next three months held. 

He went into the bedroom and looked down at his sleeping boyfriend. Ross was on his side, his arm already stretched into Jim’s empty space. Only this time, he wasn’t alone. Jim went to the bed, sitting down and running his fingers through Ross’ dark hair. Ross stirred, opening sleepy hazel eyes to look at him. 

‘Already?’ he asked and it broke Jim’s heart just a little.

‘Yup.’ he replied. ‘Time to go.’ He leaned down and kissed Ross, just once. He lingered longer than he should have but eventually he pulled away. ‘I’ll see you in three months.’

‘I love you.’ Ross said and Jim ran his thumb along Ross’ cheekbone, the skin soft under his touch.

‘I love you.’ he replied then stood up and picked up his bag. ‘I’ll text you when I get to Portsmouth.’ He looked at the furry black bundle under Ross’ arm. ‘And you look after him for me.’ Yoda blinked at him in reply and snuggled in closer. 

They both watched Jim leave the room then Ross pulled the duvet back up over them and they went back to sleep.


End file.
